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His friend Edward Cave having been on Tome occafion mentioned, he faid, "Cave ufed to fell ten thousand of The Gentleman's Magazine;' yet fuch was then his minute attention and anxiety that the fale fhould not fuffer the smallest decrease, that he would name a particular perfon who he heard had talked of leaving off the Magazine, and would fay, Let us have fomething good next

month."

It was obferved, that avarice was inherent in fome difpofitions. "No man (faid Johnson) was born a mifer, becaufe no man was born to poffeffion. Every man is born cupidus-defirous of getting; but not avarus-defirous of keeping."-Boswell. "I have heard old Mr. Sheridan maintain, with much ingenuity, that a complete mifer is a happy man; a mifer who gives himself wholly to the one paffion of faving."-JOHNSON. "That is flying in the face of all the world, who have called an avaricious man a mifer, because he is miferable. No, Sir; a man who fpends and faves money is the happiest man, because he has both enjoyments."

* The original proprietor of The Gentleman's Magazine, in which Johnson was employed as a writer.

The

The following account of the admirable fyftem of domeftic Economy adopted by MR. PEREGRINE LANGTON, was communicated by his Nephew MR. BENNET LANGTON to MR. BOSWELL.

The circumftances of Mr. Peregrine Langton were thefe He had an annuity for life of two hundred pounds per annum. He refided in a village in Lincolnshire; the rent of his house, with two or three fmall fields, was twenty eight pounds; the county he lived in was not more than moderately cheap; his family confifted of a fifter, who paid him eighteen pounds annually for her board, and a niece. The fervants were two maids, and two men in livery. His common way of living, at his own table, was three or four dishes; the appurtenances to his table were neat and handfome; he frequently entertained company at dinner, and then his table was well ferved with as many dishes as were ufual at the tables of the other gentlemen in the neighbourhood. His own appearance, as to clothes, was genteelly neat and plain. He had always a poft-chaife, and kept three horses.

"Such, with the refources I have mentioned, was his way of living, which he did not fuffer to employ his whole income; for he had always a fum of money lying by him for any extraordinary expences that might arife. Some money he put into the flocks; at his death, the fum he had there amounted to one hundred and fifty pounds. He purchafed out of his income his household furniture and linen, of which latter he had a very ample ftore; and as I am affured by thofe who had very good means of knowing, not lefs than the tenth part of his income was fet apart for charity at the time of his death, the fum of twenty-five pounds was found, with a direction to be employed in fuch uses.

"He had laid down a plan of living proportioned to his income, and did not practise any extraordinary degree of parfimony, but endeavoured that in his family there should

be

but,

be plenty without wafte; as an inftance that this was his endeavour, it may be worth while to mention a method he took in regulating a proper allowance of malt liquor to be drunk in his family, that there might not be a deficiency, nor any intemperate profufion: On a complaint made, that his allowance of a hogfhead in a month was not enough for his own family, he ordered the quantity of a hogfhead to be put into bottles, had it locked up from the fervants, and diftributed out, every day, eight quarts, which is the quantity each day at one hogfhead in a month; and told his fervants, that if that did not fuffice, he would allow them more by this method, it appeared at once that the allowance was much more than fufficient for his fmall family; and this proved a clear conviction, that could not be answered, and faved all future difpute. He was in general very diligently and punctually attended and obeyed by his fervants; he was very confiderate as to the injunctions he gave, and explained them diftinctly; and, at their first coming to his fervice, fteadily exacted a clofe compliance with them, without any remiffion; and the fervants, finding this to be the cafe, foon grew habitually accuftomed to the practice of their bufinefs, and then very little further attention was neceffary. On extraordinary inftances of good behaviour or diligence, he was not wanting in particular encouragements and prefents above their wages; it is remarkable that he would permit their relations to vifit them, and stay at his house two or three days at a time.

"The wonder, with moft that hear an account of his œconomy, will be how he was able, with fuch an income, to do fo much, especially when it is confidered that he paid for every thing he had. He had no land, except the two or three fmall fields which I have faid he rented; and instead of gaining any thing by their produce, I have reafon to think he loft by them; however, they furnished him with no further affiftance towards his housekeeping, than grafs for his horfes (not hay, for that I know he bought), and for two

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cows. Every Monday morning he fettled his family accounts, and fo kept up a constant attention to the confining his expences within his income; and to do it more exactly, com. pared thofe expences with a computation he had made, how much that income would afford him every week and day of the year. One of his œconomical practices was, as foon as any repair was wanting in or about his houfe, to have it immediately performed. When he had money to fpare, he chofe to lay in a provifion of linen or clothes, or any other neceffaries; as then, he faid, he could afford it, which he might not be fo well able to do when the actual want came; in confequence of which method, he had a confiderable fupply of neceffary articles lying by him, befide what was in ufe.

"But the main particular that feems to have enabled him to do fo much with his income was, that he paid for every thing as foon as he had it, except, alone, what were current accounts, fuch as rent for his house and servants' wages; and thefe he paid at the ftated times with the utmoft exactness. He gave notice to the tradefmen of the neighbouring markettowns, that they should no longer have his custom, if they let any of his fervants have any thing without their paying for it. Thus he put it out of his power to commit thofe imprudences to which thofe are liable that defer their payments by ufing their money fome other way than where it ought to go. And whatever money he had by him, he knew that it was not demanded elsewhere, but that he might fafely employ it as he pleased.

"His example was confined, by the fequeftered place of his abode, to the obfervation of few, though his prudence and virtue would have made it valuable to all who could have known it. Thefe few particulars, which I knew myself, or have obtained from thofe who lived with him, may afford inftruction, and may be an incentive to that wife art of living, which he fo fuccefsfully practifed."

TRADE.

TRADE.

TALKING of trade, Johnfon obferved, “ It is a mistaken notion that a vaft deal of money is brought into a nation by trade. It is not fo. Commodities come from commodities; but trade produces no capital acceffion of wealth. However, though there fhould be little profit in money, there is a confiderable profit in pleasure, as it gives to one nation the productions of another; as we have wines and fruits, and many other foreign articles, brought to us."-BOSWELL." Yes, Sir, and there is a profit in pleasure, by its furnishing occupation to fuch numbers of mankind."-JOHNSON.

Why, Sir, you cannot call that pleasure to which all are averfe, and which none begin but with the hope of leaving off; a thing which men diflike before they have tried it, and when they have tried it."-B. "But, Sir, the mind must be employed, and we grow weary when idle."-7. "That is, Sir, because others being bufy, we want company; but if we were all idle, there would be no growing weary; we should all entertain one another. There is, indeed, this in trade: it gives men an opportunity of improving their fituation.

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